What is Digital Literature?

In order to understand Digital Literature, first we need to know what does Digital, means?

What is meant by Digital?

Digital describes electronic technology that generates, stores, and processes data in terms of two states: positive and non-positive. Positive is expressed or represented by the number 1 and non-positive by the number 0. Thus, data transmitted or stored with digital technology is expressed as a string of 0's and 1's. Each of these state digits is referred to as a bit (and a string of bits that a computer can address individually as a group is a byte).

Digital technology is primarily used with new physical communications media, such as satellite and fiber optic transmission. A modem is used to convert the digital information in your computer to analog signals for your phone line and to convert analog phone signals to digital information for your computer.

Definition of Digital Literature:

Digital literature is a type of literature covering works created exclusively on and for digital devices, such as computers, tablets, and mobile phones. Some novels are exclusive to tablets and smartphones for the simple fact that they require a touchscreen. It is also called Electronic Literature which is also being promoted and facilitated by Electronic Literature Organization (ELO).

Electronic literature, generally considered to exclude print literature that has been digitized and is meant to be read on a computer". A definition offered by the Electronic Literature Organization (ELO) states electronic literature "refers to works with an important literary aspect that takes advantage of the capabilities and contexts provided by the stand-alone or networked computer".

History of Digital/Electronic Literature:

History of digital literature can be described as gradual transition into the digital world initiated with developments in technology to makes things more efficient and accessible. In the 1960s and 1970s, the creation of the personal computer allowed people to begin expanding literature into the electronic jurisdiction.

Components of Digital/Electronic literature:

Digital or Electronic literature currently consist of several types of literature which was earlier present only in basic print media. Find below list which has been officially mentioned by ELO in their website.

• E-books, hypertext and poetry, on and off of the Web
• Animated poetry presented in graphical forms, for example Flash and other platforms
• Computer art installations, which ask viewers to read them or otherwise have literary aspects
• Conversational characters, also known as Chabot
• Travelogues
• Novels that take the form of emails, SMS messages, or blogs available on internet
• Poems and stories that are generated by computers.
• Collaborative writing projects that allow readers to contribute to the text of a work
• Literary performances online that develop new ways of writing